It seems like if there’s one thing as sure as death and taxes, it’s that electronic stuff gets slower over time. Sometimes it’s your imagination. Newer stuff is faster and you just don’t remember how slow the older stuff is. For example, I remember my Windows 98 laptop starting up in a reasonable amount of time. That amount of time was about 30 seconds. Today if I’m not ready to go on my computer in 5 seconds I think something’s wrong.
It seems that over the years, DIRECTV equipment hasn’t been immune to this rule. Some equipment, like the HR20 and HR34 DVRs, were certainly fast enough when they were new but over time got so slow due to new features that they eventually got retired. The HR24 DVR was considered a speed demon in its day, too, and no one much says that about it anymore.
Is it just me or…
It seems like my Genie system is a lot faster now. It’s a lot more responsive to the remote and things just sort of happen faster. There’s still a lag in changing channels, and that’s due to satellite technology. But when using a menu, playing something recorded, or just searching, that little bit of lag seems to be gone. At least for me.
The work continues even when you’re not aware of it
A generation ago, DIRECTV equipment was known for its long update times. It took about 20-25 minutes for a software update to apply. Sometimes you’d get a message on screen at just the wrong time and there wasn’t much you could do but wait it out. Because the software was evolving so rapidly, you could get four updates a month sometimes. Most of us just decided to grin and bear it because we were early adopters.
Today, you don’t really notice software updates. For most people they come about once a quarter. Genie systems can download them over the internet instead of relying on satellite transmission, and that cuts the downtime to about 5 minutes. For the most part they happen in the middle of the night without you even noticing. Occasionally you’ll see a flashing light on one of your boxes and that’s about it.
Getting better all the time
I’ve noticed that in the last 6 months or so, the Genies have gotten a lot better in terms of speed. TV Apps (which you get to by pressing the right arrow while on live TV) are more reliable and faster to load. Everything just seems to work with a bit more zip.
I can’t tell you what happened exactly, but I’m not complaining. Am I the only one? Are you seeing the same thing?
If you’re curious about the DIRECTV Genie experience and you haven’t taken the plunge yet, call the experts at Solid Signal! We can recommend the right system for you, arrange for professional installation, and get you all set up! Often times we can even help you upgrade older equipment for practically no cost. All this comes with a level of customer service you don’t get from an overseas call center.
Call us at 888-233-7563 and we’ll take care of you. You’ll reach an expert in our Novi, Michigan corporate office with years of experience in DIRECTV systems. Even better… if you have more questions you can call the same person again. Try that with an overseas call center! That’s the Solid Signal difference.
